Dance with my Father
by KMPC
Summary: You'll find that one boy that makes you happy, but makes me want to kill him. Even if I'm not too fond of him, I'll make it a promise to try and like him if he makes you happy. All I want is for you to be happy. With whomever you choose to be with, Clare


**A/N:** Okie dokes, I want to step away from the relationship one-shots I've been doing lately. I'm tired it, and judging from the reviews on The One That Got Away, I made you guys cry? Haha, I find that hard to believe, because when I was writing it, I didn't shed a tear! Now, read, Frgtyou, she can make you cry! Well anyways, enjoy guys! Review please!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Degrassi, Dance with my father by Luther Vandross or Moonligh by Yimura. I OWN AJ SAUDIN! He said so in my dream! ;)

**BTW! **Listen to Moonlight by Yimura or Dance with my father while reading this!

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><p><strong>I<strong>

"Good morning, Clare-Bear. How are we doing today my little angel?" Randall Edwards would whisper every morning to his newest daughter.

This was his second daughter. She was different than Darcy, complete opposite. She was quieter than Darcy ever was, her skin was paler, and her hair was lighter. His favorite part was her eyes.

Every morning, he would wake his daughter up and see himself in her. Big round blue eyes and his nose.

Her tiny hands always found their way wrapped around his finger, moving them up and down. She would smile at him and laugh whenever he made silly faces at her.

He would take her out of her crib, and walk her to the big closet mirror door. He would make her face forward, her back against his chest so that she could see her own reflection.

He would lift her tiny fist up and wave in the mirror and make her laugh and mumble words that were never quite words.

He would put her in her booster seat to feed her and talk story. She was too young to talk, but she could make noises that were her own way of talking to her daddy.

He would go along and say, "Oh really?" or "You're just so talkative today aren't you, huh?"

At night, before it was time for her to go to bed, he would put on Moonlight by Yimura. He would put her footy pajamas on, wrap her blanket around her and slow dance with her.

He would kiss her on the forehead and tell her how much he loved her.

"One day Clare, you'll find that one boy that makes you happy, but makes me want to kill him. He's going to treat you right, and make sure that you're safe and in good hands. He's going to love you, and make you feel like a princess. Even if I'm not too fond of him, I'll make it a promise to try and like him if he makes you happy. All I want for you is to be happy. With whomever you choose to be with. If he's a gothic punk, who's doing horrible in school, I'll be by your side one hundred percent. You'll always be my baby girl."

Clare Edwards grew up to be a daddy's girl.

**II**

As Clare grew older, her love for her father grew. Where Randall went, Clare was by his side, gripping his hand. When he went to work, she would wait for him on the couch.

As soon he entered the house, she would jump up and down, run to him, and he would carry her in his arms. She would wrap her tiny arms tightly around his neck and say, "I missed you, Daddy."

His heart would swell as those words came out of her mouth. He worried that she would grow up to be one of those girls who only gave lip to her father and only showed him love and care when she wanted something.

The men at his job would grumble before Clare was born. They would grumble on how their daughters were the most rotten children they had ever seen. With Darcy, she was more of a mommy's girl.

Clare, on the other hand, was always and will always be by her father's side. If her parents were to ever disagree on something, which was very rare, he would sleep on the couch.

Clare would tip toe down the stairs, dragging her blanket with her. She would crawl on top of her father's chest and sleep with him on the couch. He would smile and kiss her forehead and fall asleep, knowing his baby girl was there for him.

When Clare got into the fourth grade, her love for her father was stronger and still there. Her and her mother would argue sometimes. She would run to her dad and tell him her side of the story.

He would put down his briefcase and carry her upstairs to her room. He would sit her down on his lap as he sat on her bed.

"It's not fair, Daddy! Why can't I sleepover my friend's house? Darcy is aloud to!" She would say, crossing her arms, and pouting her full lips.

"Clare, Darcy's in the seventh grade. You're still a little girl. If you were to sleepover your friend's house, I would be lonely." Randall would say gently, rubbing her back.

She would continue to pout and say, "It's just not fair." Randall would tap her shoulder and look around the room curiously, as if he were making sure no one was around. Clare noticed, and her eyebrows would shoot up with curiosity.

"You know Clare." Randall would whisper, "It's much more fun to stay home when Darcy is gone, because you can go into her room and jump on her bed."

Clare would gasp dramatically as if it were the most exciting news she had ever heard in her entire life. She would smile real big and gently hit his chest, "Really, dad? I can do that?"

Randall would nod slowly and say, "Me and you can go and jump on her bed right now if you want." Clare jumped off of his lap and ran to her door.

She would beckon her hand at him, with a huge smile on her face. She was missing one of her teeth in the front, so it was cute.

"Now hold on one minute, Clare Diane." He would say. Clare would drop her smile and frown. She hated it when anyone called her by her whole name. "Come here."

She would trudge her way to her dad and stand between his legs. "Before we can do anything fun, I want you to walk your little tush downstairs and apologize to your mother."

Clare would nod and say, "You promise that we can jump on Darcy's bed after I say sorry to Mommy?"

Randall would nod and hold out his pinky. Clare let hers out and wraps it around her dad's pinky.

"Pinky promise."

Late at night, Randall would walk quietly into Clare's room with a dollar bill in hand.

He would kneel down, and gently put the dollar bill under her pillow. He would kiss her forehead and then exit. Clare would wake up in the morning, find the dollar bill and run to her father and explain to him that it just showed up there magically.

His entire life, he never did tell Clare that it was him who would put a dollar bill under her pillow.

**III**

"Now listen here, boy. Clare is my baby, if you do anything to hurt her, I promise you, you will regret it." Randall told Eli as he stood downstairs, waiting for Clare.

Eli gulped nervously and nodded. "I promise, sir, Clare is in good hands."

"Yeah, well you better keep your hands to yourself." Randall mumbled under his breath as he took a sip of his beer. Randall and Eli sat on the couch awkwardly.

Eli stared at the stairs, hoping that Clare would hurry up and come down already. Randall continued to stare at the boy he wished his daughter never had dated.

He was still bitter and overprotective after K.C., the first boy Clare ever took interest in, broke her heart.

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><p>"Dad, what does Jenna have that I don't?" Clare cried into her father's chest. He would hold her tightly and kiss her head. "Nothing, sweetheart. She has absolutely nothing that you don't have."<p>

Clare sobbed and cried more, "Yeah right. I knew it was too good to be true. What boy would stick around with Square Clare?" It hurt Randall to hear what his own beautiful daughter thought of herself.

In his eyes, she and Darcy, and Helen were the most beautiful women to ever come into his life. They were all smart, talented, beautiful, and humble.

This was the moment he dreaded for Clare; her first heartbreak. He rubbed her back and said, "It's his lost. He lost an opportunity to be with a wonderful girl like you, Clare."

Clare sniffled as she listened to him, "He doesn't even realize that you're this sweet girl that could have made him very happy."

Clare cried some more as she said, "I wouldn't have made him happy. Skanky, experienced Jenna Middleton who's gone through puberty already is going to make him happy. I'm nothing like her! I'm not fun and exciting and blonde like her."

Randall shook his head and said, "Exactly. She's absolutely nothing like you. Which makes you automatically the better person. Does she have a kind, forgiving heart like you? Is she smart like you? Is she loyal like you?"

Clare shrugged her shoulders and said, "Who cares about that kind of stuff, dad? She's fun to be around! She can sing, act, dance, and she's willing to take her clothes off. That's what boys want nowadays, Dad! I'm not going to do that, which automatically puts me at the bottom of the totem pole."

Randall sighed and said, "I'm glad you're not going to take your clothes off for boys, Clare. But, that doesn't mean you go directly to the bottom of the totem pole. Believe it or not, there is a boy out there who's willing to be with you and who doesn't need the physical things. All he needs is your love for him. I promise. "

Clare looked up at him with her red, bloodshot eyes. "Pinky promise?"

He held out his pinky towards her, and hers to his. "Pinky Promise."

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><p>Helen and Darcy came running down the stairs in excitement. "Randall, don't scare the poor boy. Eli, dear, come!" Helen said as she ran towards him, gripping his arms, and pulling him to the bottom of the staircase.<p>

Randall slowly stood up and stood next to Eli. Darcy was already flashing the camera towards Eli as he awkwardly smirked, with Randall's hand gripping his shoulder tightly.

Clare came walking down the stairs for her first official dinner date. She was wearing a pretty floral dress that stopped right above her knee. She was wearing her usual flats with the little bow on top. She had her cross necklace, which hung directly above her new cleavage.

Randall's heart rate sped up as he realized that the neckline on her dress and length was too short for his liking. When he saw the tiny grin on his daughter's face, he knew she was gone. He turned to look at Eli, and sure enough, he was gazing at her with so much care that he knew, he wasn't going to hurt Clare.

The look on his daughter's face as she stared at the boy, completely ignoring her family members around her was priceless. He knew.

He knew she was falling in love. He wasn't ready for his little girl to fall in love, he wasn't ready for her to grow up, and he wasn't ready for any of it. This was his baby. This girl was his light, his hope, and the one reason he could wake up in the morning, going to the job that he loathed.

All of it was for her. She was the one girl who made him crack a smile even when he was having a rough day. He knew he could go home from a bad day at work and knows that Clare was going to make it all better.

Everyday he keeps a mental note while he's at work, dealing with irritating customers that he had to keep going for her. It was all for his baby.

"You look really beautiful, Clare." Eli breathed out nervously as Clare reached the bottom. She grinned and said, "Thank you."

Randall made room for pictures. He stood by the doorway of the kitchen, and watched his wife and daughter take pictures of the couple.

He turned his head to the side and remembered what he had to told her when she was only six months olds.

"_Even if I'm not too fond of him, I'll make it a promise to try and like him if he makes you happy. All I want for you is to be happy. With whomever you choose to be with"_

He sighed as he watched Clare laugh at her mother and sister. She told them that they needed to leave or they were going to miss the reservations.

Eli led her to the door before she whispered in his ear. He nodded and went outside. She turned to look at Helen and Darcy and gave them a look. They both nodded and made their way upstairs.

Clare looked at her dad and smiled. Randall smiled and stopped leaning against the doorframe.

"Did you think that I would forget you, Papa Bear?" She said as she made her way towards her father. The one man who will always be there for her.

"You look really stunning, Clare-Bear." Randall said as Clare stood directly in front of him. Randall smiled down at his daughter. His six foot three frame towering over her tiny body.

"Thanks, daddy." Randall smiled and opened his arms wide. Clare hugged him. When she looked up, he was crying.

"Why are you crying, dad?" she said as her tiny finger swiped it away. "You're just growing up way too fast, Clare. I remember when you were just a baby. Now, you're going on dates and you've turned into a beautiful young woman."

Clare smiled sadly and said, "Daaad, I'm still the same little girl that loves her dad to bits. I just have lady parts now."

Randall laughed and said, "That's exactly what I don't like."

Clare laughed and hugged him one more time. "He's waiting for me in the car. I'll be back home by eleven."

Randall kissed her forehead and watched as she ran to the door, grabbing her jean jacket before turning around and mouthing the words, "Love you."

Randall stood with his hands in his pockets as he mouthed, "Love you, too." Clare walked out the door and to Eli.

"She's growing up fast, isn't she?" Helen said as she stood next to her husband. She wrapped her arm around his waist, as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"She'll always be a daddy's girl, Randall." Randall looked down at his wife and smiled, "Until the end."

**IV**

As the song Moonlight by Yimura played, the crowd of her family and friends watched as she had her slow dance with her dad.

She felt like a little kid again. Having him hold her, whisper into her ear that he would always be there for her.

She smiled as she felt like it was just her and her dad. Ever since she was born, Clare clung to him.

Even though it was her night to feel beautiful and have literally all eyes on her, this was the part she most excited for. Having to have her special moment with the man that was always there for her.

Two years went by, and he was sick. He was slowly dying in front of her eyes, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

His last moments were spent with her hand grasping his cold ones. Moonlight by Yimura playing in the background. No matter what the nurse had told her, she never left his side.

"Today, I bought the boys this t-shirt that said, 'My grandpa is the coolest'." She said as he listened to her speak.

He smiled, Haha, I'm gonna miss those little rascals." Clare smiled and reached up. She ran her fingers through his hair and said, "I'm gonna miss _you." _

Randall looked at her softly and said, "Can you ask Eli to come in here please?" Clare looked surprised and said, "Okay, dad. Be right back."

When Eli came into the room, he smiled. "How's it going, dad?" He said as he took a seat next to the bed.

"Oh nothing much, son. Listen I wanted to tell you something." Eli nodded as Randall made his bed sit up.

"When I first met you, I hated you." He said bluntly. Eli looked shocked and was at lost of words. "Okay?"

"I promised Clare when she was just a baby that I would always be by her side and try and like the boy she cared about. I met you twice before I started liking you. Want to know why?"

Eli nodded and leaned on his knees with his elbows. "When Clare came walking down those stairs, I saw this look. She loved you and it was only the first date. Now, I don't know how ya did it, but you did. You made my baby happy. That's the only thing that I needed to know that I should give you a chance."

Eli smiled and looked down at his hands. "I'm gonna tell you what I told you on that first date." He beckoned his hand. Eli leaned forward and looked at his father-in-law.

"If you do anything to hurt my baby girl, I will make you regret it. I'm going to be gone and I'm going to haunt you in the shower. I'll take the hot water away so you can't wash that mane you call hair." Eli laughed as he smiled. "Don't worry. She's in good hands. I promise."

"Ya Pinky Promise?"

"I Pinky Promise, pops."

**V**

Clare stood by the door as she listened to her mother cry. Her father's funeral was tomorrow and the heartbreak was hard.

Clare had never seen her mother be this sad before. Clare was crying herself too, but her mother's cry was much worse.

She lost the love of her life. She lost the man that was her everything.

Clare walked back to her old bedroom from when she was just a child. She walked to her bed, glad that Eli and the two boys were at home instead of sleeping at the house.

She knelt down on the right side of her bed. Closing her eyes, grasping the cross necklace that hasn't left her neck since she was baptized.

"God, please help my mom. She's having a hard time. It's hard enough to lose a husband, but a best friend also. I know that my dad is in a better place right now, watching me and my family, where he isn't struggling, but please. Give my mom a break. Please let her be happy. My dad wouldn't have wanted her to be this sad."

She opened her eyes, releasing the cross from her grasp. She made the cross sign and looked out the window. She stood up and opened the window and sat on the seat.

She looked at the moon and whispered, "I love you, Daddy."

As she said so, the cool wind blew and she knew it was her dad. When she was just a baby, she used mumbling noises to respond to her dad. Now, Randall Edwards uses the wind to respond to her.

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><p><strong>AN: **It's a tad bit long isn't it? Sorry. Please review. I worked hard on this. Now that I have Microsoft word on my laptop _hopefully _I won't have as much errors as I did before. Ugh, I am so embarrassed because of that. Well, hope you enjoyed!


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